I’m drinking this lovely Mi Lan Xiang/Honey Orchid dancong in the early morning. The few times throughout the day when the house is quiet and still. Perfect for savoring tea for yourself
Cantonese roast pork! Crispy, savory, and not greasy
Scenting green tea with my own jasmine flowers. First of 3 rounds I’ll be doing the next few days.
A new friend joins the table, a gaiwan? A tea pot? Both? It’s a handpot! This vessel came with the 3 ceramic cups as a set and I’ve never used it until now. Surprisingly it feels really nice to use. It’s light and the technique is precise though the pour can improved
I’m drinking My Tea Connection Mi Lan Xiang 蜜兰香, though porcelain doesn’t alter tea flavor its color harmonizes with the color of the tea soup.
When the tea is laid and the kettle boils, the world outside no longer exists and all that matters is the here and now.
Drinking an apricot kernel/almond fragrance (杏仁香) dancong. Oddly last time I had this it was unpleasant but trying it again, it’s rather tasty. Flavors of preserved dried stone fruits and honey with high floral notes and slight bitterness with a cooling mineral finish. Shame it’s my last packet, I’ll have to get some more of this cultivar to keep in rotation.
To me tea and clayware are a perfect pairing. Something about drinking tea in natural materials just feels right. I do not mean its flavor altering properties but just the synergy of materials. Thats not to say other vessel types are inferior or lesser, each has their own relationship with tea but clay is uniquely special. You can even take it further by drinking from the same clay the tea grew in. Here I am drinking a dancong oolong in chaozhou red clay. Both come from the chaozhou/chaoshan area.
Enjoying this QiLan Rock Tea 奇兰香 this afternoon, such a tasty tea can only uplift the spirit and set the rest of the day in a positive tone.
I’m filming with my canon camera, the footage so far is really smooth and crisper than my phone. The preset settings give the video a nice warm tone that compliments the color of the wares. I’ll have to use it more often to film.
Fresh spawn of ranchu goldfish having a baby brine shrimp meal.
My teapot is blowing bubbles, that’s a new quirk haha
I have white cloud minnows living in a planter bowl outside. They survived the winter and are now getting more active. I’ve been feeding Moina and BBS so maybe we’ll see some little ones soon
Osmanthus Liu Bao
Though I’m only drinking for myself here, all 3 cups are for me unless I am sharing. Interesting how that all works out but at least I’ll always have cups of tea to share in case of an unexpected guest.
Shot of my session last night. Having tea outside in the evening breeze, serenaded by the chirping insects and running water, accompanied by sleeping fish. A truly peaceful experience.
They shine a little bit red when in the sun. Perhaps I have entered the “returning red” phase
I reached 6 months of daily play and brushing. Color change is starting to slow down
I finally got porcelain cups! I can now see the color of the tea soup compared to when I was using my clay cups.
In here I’m drinking this yellow gardenia dancong. Extremely floral with grassy freshness, and honeyed sweetness. Very temperamental, easy to over steep. A bit dry on the mouth and slightly cooling like a mint.
I’ve started to really hone in on the brewing process, sometimes I feel like I’m on autopilot and could probably do this blindfolded but it’s a habit to be wary of, I like being fully involved in the process.